Remember to stop….

 

and smell the

purple ones and….

 

the yellow ones and…

 

the pinkish…kinda more mauvey ones.

Have a wonderful Friday and get a head start on your weekend!!!  

My babies are bleached….

 

not whole wheat or all purpose. 

A friend of Nicole’s came over for dinner tonight and HE needed to bring the TWINS along.  HE (I promised no names) is in a class called Teen Issues and of course, teen pregnancy is a teen issue.  So the students are given the responsibility of “children”.  HE got lucky and had twins!  They are Edward and Alphonse and I guess the only way to tell them apart is by their expiration dates.  :)

Flash bulbs….

 

I planted several different kinds of bulbs, and they all seemed to have come up with nice green shoots. 

But only the Freesia are going to bloom.

 

These flowers smell heavenly. 

I was out playing while the sun was setting with my point and shot camera.  I don’t think I had the best options selected. 

Stocks are an all time favorite at this time of year too.

Now I’m headed out to sit on the back porch and listen to the crickets and wish we had a lake with loons nearby.    

Getting our feet wet…

 

Well, technically, we didn’t.  Tracy and I headed out on a road trip that took us to Lake Pleasant last Wednesday.

The water was so clear and this would have been the best spot to get our feet wet….but we didn’t either one want to sit down and take our shoes off.  It was really just a metaphor thing for getting out and taking pictures. :)

 

The lake has changed so much since my high school days when I used to go there quite frequently. But then lava has cooled in that same time frame also.

 

The weather could not have been more perfect.  We saw some nice wildflowers, but there was enough of a breeze that things were moving quite a bit.

 

And since I had promised myself to shoot in nothing but manual mood on my camera,  I eliminated quite a few shots after I saw them on the computer.  But I did stick to manual mood.  Hope my older brother, Glen, is reading this.

 

We had a great time and relaxed and laughed.  Perfect way to spend the day.

I’m heading off to the desert with Annie and Alice.  I’m sure I’ll be dragging home some more rocks.

I’ve heard of the bee’s knees….

 

but I think this is the bee’s butt.

Sing a song of sixpence…

 

This mockingbird was out in the Ocotillo this morning singing his heart out.  I’m sure he’s practicing his courting song for the soon-to-be new Mrs. Mockingbird.  Or possibly, he’s practicing “their” song.  The one that he wooed her with last year. 

 

Other signs of spring…leaf buds are popping out all over the yard.

 

And I have it on the best authority (the neighbor lady), that a few of these lovelies placed around your yard will keep the gophers away.  Seems when the wind blows them, they set off vibrations in the ground that the gophers don’t like.  Since I moved this one to a new gopher hole, I’m not sure how well they’re working.  Sorry this shot is a bit blurry, but it was spinning like crazy when I took this photo.

Happy Spring!!!

Fat Cat…

 

“You know, you could hurt someone’s feelings saying something like that.”

 

 

“Just what do you mean….my body makes my head look small? I have a glandular condition.”

 

 

“Okay.  Now you’ve hurt my feelings.”

 

This is Junior, the cat.  He belongs to my sister-in-law, Lisa.  I’m thinking she might be able to save a little money and cut back on his food.  :P

You’re gonna get sick…

 

of flowers.

Especially purple ones.  As you can tell, I’m not venturing very far afield to take photos these days. 

There has been a Says Phoebe sharing the morning with me outside my window.  They like to come on the porch in the morning and catch the bugs that are too cold to move around much yet. Unfortunately, I didn’t get a good picture. So you’ll just have to use your imagination.

Off to take my mom to the doctor today. 

Happy Un-birthday!!!

 

“There are exactly as many special occasions in life as we choose to celebrate.”  -Robert Brault

 

Tracy has shared with me a website that has all kinds of great thoughts and ideas.  Above is a quote from the site regarding “gratitude”.  I especially like what it conveys to me. It also talked about Lewis Carroll’s invention of the “un-birthday”…a day we celebrate simply because it’s not our birthday. 

So today, I’m choosing to celebrate my un-birthday!

I was up early and out taking pictures of the crescent moon rising.  It was so COLD!  But I was doing something I enjoy and felt very much alive in that moment.

I hope you all enjoy your un-birthdays today!!!

Down, but not out…

 

I’m having a few down days and have learned to just let them run their course. I’ll see you on the other side.

 

Easily distracted…

 

Sometimes I feel like that dog in the movie, “Up”.  You know the one who can talk. But in spite of that advanced talent, whenever he sees a squirrel  he yells, “Squirrel”, in mid sentence and takes off running. Yea, that’s pretty much me. 

Today while at the sink doing dishes, I was watching Star (my big dog) as she started off running across the back yard to chase after a cat. When she got about even with a small tree, it was like someone jerked a rope and she did an about face and started sniffing around the tree.  Curious (insert the word “Squirrel” here) I went to see what she had found.  Well there was a dead sparrow under the tree.  While picking it up I noticed the birdbath was empty and while getting the hose to fill it, I noticed the flower bed needed watering.  While doing that, it was hard not to notice the gifts that Star (my BIG dog) leaves for me around the yard. While hosing off my little shovel after that pleasant job, I noticed the rocks I’ve been bringing home from my trips with Annie needed cleaning. I was standing right by the Crepe Myrtle I got from my Pop last fall and it’s beginning to show signs of life so I got my camera. After taking those pictures and a few of some flowers (how could I resist?), I noticed I needed to clean and refill the humming bird feeders.  While in the kitchen doing that, I noticed someone had left the dishes in the sink and now the water was cold. Wonder who did that?

BTW Happy Valentine’s Day!!!

Flowers are like Lays…

 

I can’t  pick – photograph – smell – or enjoy -  just one.  :)

 

 

 

 

 

Infectious smile…

 

with just the right amount of…

 

                             mischief….

 

                            and laughter.

 

This is my great nephew, Justin.  I’m sure you remember him as the handsome little man who has me wrapped around his little finger. I went to his Grandma’s Fabulous Fifty party yesterday and a great time was had by all.

Sometimes no picture is necessary…

 

“What we do for ourselves dies with us. What we do for others and the world remains and is immortal.”  Albert Pine.

On the road…

 

I am so ready to hit the road and do some traveling.  Doesn’t have to be a long trip, but I’m anxious to see some new scenery.

Go to the corner…turn left or turn right…doesn’t really matter.  

Another Angel crosses…

 

the rainbow bridge.

Annie’s little dog, Trixie, passed away.  She was such a big part of Annie’s life and will be missed beyond words.

 

She came on all our trips to the cabin and even enjoyed the snow.

 

She wasn’t here nearly long enough.

I’m a bit off…

 

              My angle’s a little skewed.

 

          My mind’s feeling rusty and…

             a bit prickly.

 

                                                                                                                                                                    I think I need some time to reflect.   

 

Or maybe I just need to get up off of my behind and get out and do something!  That sounds like the answer.

Delicate flowers…

 

                        “True strength is delicate.”Louise Berliawsky Nevelson

Don’t look at me…

 

You can’t see me…

But I am kinda cute, aren’t I??

Wings…

 

“The reason birds can fly and we can't is simply that they have perfect faith, for to have faith is to have wings” James Matthew Barrie

 

“Time is swift, it races by; Opportunities are born and die... Still you wait and will not try - A bird with wings who dares not rise and fly.” A. A. Milne

 

Harris’s Hawk….I’m so afraid of heights, but would love to be a bird and fly like this.

What’s all the buzz about?

 

Last year this hole in the tree was the home to several different families of finches.

 

This year it’s the home to several different bees.

 

 

 

All in the same family, I’m sure.

Again you must pardon some of the shots. I know they’re not the best, but neither were the conditions under which I was taking them…

My brother, Richard, has experience with bees and assures me that I’m probably safe until they start “pinging” my head.  Well, they stayed calm all through the photo shoot, but I didn’t want to push my luck. I was really only about a foot from the opening and I just couldn’t figure out how to get my tripod on top of the ladder. 

At least now I know I’ll have some bees to pollinate my flowers.